Protective armor.



S, M. AL MENGUAL.

PROTECTIVE ARMORK APPLICATION man APR. is. lsm.

- Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

SALVADOR MONTES ALMENGUAL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROTECTIVE ARMOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

Application filed April 18, 1917. Serial N o. 162,925.

armor for vessels, forts, entrenchments,

vehicles, and for the bodies of men and animals.

More particularly, my present invention is characterized by the use of helical springs connected together to form a protective skin' composed of one or more layers of helices, and either attached directly to the surface of object to be protected or spaced therefrom by supporting springs preferably of frusto-conical form placed at suitable intervals and attached to the surface to be protected and to the skin formed of helices. Where extra protection is required a plurality of skins formed of helices and supported by supporting springs may be superimposed one on another. Also one or more of said skins may have the bores of the helices or the spaces between the. supporting springs, or both, filled with'rubber. felt, wool or some other yielding material to catch the fragments of projectiles and to assist the resilient elements in assuming the shock of impact.

In the accompanying drawings, which are merely intended to illustrate the practical application of the principles of my invention and not to limit the scope of the same to the construction shown, Figure 1 is a broken end view showing the outer skin of the armor formed of a single layer of helices connected together and spaced from the basic surface by supporting springs; Fig. 2 is a plan or outer face View of the same, the outer skin being partially broken away for the sake of clearness; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification; Fig. 4 is an end view showing further modifications; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views showing various methods of attaching ad acent helices together; Fig. 7 is an end new showing a plurality of layers of helices superimposed one over the other, the individuals of one layer being disposed at an angle to the individuals of the adjacent layer or layers, and the layers being spaced apart by supporting springs, and also showing the use of a filling of rubber or other substances in the bores of the helices and between the supportmg springs, and also showing the use of a facing which I apply to underwater armor, and Fig. 8 shows a plurality of layers of helices applied one on top of the other, the individuals of one layer being disposed at an angle to the individuals of the adacent layer or layers and the innermost or base layer being applied directly to the surface to be protected. I

The following is a detailed description of the drawings, reference being first had to Figs. 1 and 2.

A represents an inner support or foundation for the armor structure. It may be a portion of the object to be protected, as for instance, a ship plate, or it may be a base or support secured to the surface or object to be protected. Thus, where the surface to be protected is irregular in contour, the inner support A may be flexible so as to conform to such contour and thus give the outer skin of the armor substantially the same contour. Again, where the body of a man or an animal is to be protected, the inner foundation, A, may be of leather or heavy textile material which will conform to the shape of the body and the whole armor structure may be taken off or put on as a garment.

B represents a plurality of helices formed of resilient metal wire, rod or bar and anchored together side by side to form a resilient mat or outer impact receiving skin for the armor. In Figs. 1 and 2 the helices are shown attached togetherby slightly spreading the coils and weaving through said coils alternately a metal wire or cable 1, thus sewing the helices snugly together.

C represents supporting springs which space or hold the outer skin away from the surface to be protected. These springs are preferably of frusto-conical shape as shown and are attached to both base and outer skin as by the metal clips or rings 2. These springs are provided at regular intervals according to the use to which the armor is to be put. Thus where heavy or large caliber projectiles are to be repelled, the supporting springs will be placed nearer together and will be of greater strength than where small arm projectiles are to be protected against. The springs should be strong enough and close enough together to prevent the outer tory as the strength of the outerskin thus formed is uniform throughout and presents no weaker portions to give way under impact.

In Fig. 4 I show the coils of the helices spread apart somewhat, and the adjacent helices slightly telescoped together, thus forming a longitudinal aperture or bore 3 between the coils of adjacent helices. Through said aperture I may thread either a metal chain 4:, a metal rod, wire or cable 5, or a small helical spring 6;

In Fig. 5 I show a small chain 4 threaded through the bore of adjacent helices and sewed together by means of a metal wire 7 threaded about said chains between the coils of the helices. In said figure I also show small metal rings 8 used to connect together the coils of adjacent helices.

, In Fig. 6 I show the coils of a pair of adjacent helices spread apart to permit partial telescoping and a wire 9 sewed spirally through the coils of the two helices.

Where the helices form part of an interior skin or layer of the armor the wire 9 need not engage every one of the coils but the stitches may skip a number of intervening coils, as shown: Where, however, the helices form a part of the outer armor skin or initial impact surface, the wire should be sewn through or around each coil of both helices for additional strength of connection.

-The coils of the helices may be permanently spread to a degree suflicient to permit the insertion between them of the con- 'necting element or they. may be temporarily spread for that purpose. Where the helices are made of heavy spring bar, such aswould be used for heavy armor, the helices may be left sufficiently separated for the introduction between of the connecting chain, cable, or other connecting element.

In Fig. 7 I show a multiple form of my armor comprising a number of skins formed each of helices, the inner skin being formed of helices B spaced from the back A by means of supporting springs C, while theouter skin is formed of helices B spaced from the helices B by means of supporting springs C. The springs G are attached to the helices B andthe helices B. In said figure I have also shown the use of an outer water-tight or water rebuifing skin D ofmetal or other material which serves to resprings, or both, such filling serving to ass1st assuming the shock of impact and particularly to arrest the fragments of proectlles broken topieces by the outer skin or sk ns and gaining access to the inner skin through the temporarily spread coils of the helices.

The helices ofone skin,'in the multiple forms of my improved armor are preferably placedat an angle to the helices which form the adjacent skin; or skins, thus breaking oints and better T distributing the blow of impact. I

In Fig. 8 I have shown the protective armor. made up of a plurality of layers of hellce's, the helices .of each layer being laid at an angle to the helices of the adjacent layers, and the layers being attached to gether- -at intervals more to keep them in place, as by rings 11. In this figure I have shown the multiple skin attached directly to the foundation A, as by clips12.

Where a plurality of sln'ns are used either placed directly one against the other or separated by spacing springs, I prefer to coil the 1nner helices more closely than the outer hellces, thus making the outer portion of the armor more yielding and the inner portion more closely knit to halt the fragments of pI0]6Ct-1l6S which may sift through the outer layers or skins.

My improved armor is relatively of light welght, compared to solid plate armor, and of much less cost. It may therefore be applied to light vessels and vehicles, and to the bodies of soldiers or transport animals.

It is well known that heat generated by the impact of aprojectile upon a solid armor plate, tends to melt the material of the plate and results in easy penetration. This is caused by the stubborn resistance of the plate to the projectile. On the contrary, my improved armor yields before the impact,

.giving Way to the projectile through its rebecome'broken or blown to fragments, these fragments will be halted and thrown backby. the resilient elements of the inner skins,

provided of course that the strength and I character of the armor has been selected to meet the requirements to which it is subjected. I

The gage or thickness "of the mater al, wire, rod or bar ofspring steel, from which the helices are made will, of course var with the character of protection to be a forded. Thus to repel small arm fire, the

helices may be made of relatively thin spring wire or rod, while heavy bar steel would be required to repel large caliber proj 6Ct1leS.

However, I prefer to form the protective armor of a multiplicity or plurality of skins or layers or skins with interposed spacing springs, rather than to make the individual helices of heavier gage material, as in the former case I obtain the necessary resistance without sacrificing resiliency as might occur should the heavier gage material be used in forming the helices.

What I desire -to claim is 1. A protective armor of the character described composed solely of resilient metal helices disposed side. by side and connected together in such a manner as to form an impact skin resiliently yielding in all directions upon projectile impact, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A protective armor of the character described composed solely of resilient metal helices disposed side by side and the adjacent helices, having their coils spirally engaged together, whereby an impact skin is formed resiliently yielding in all directions upon projectile impact, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A protective armor of the character described comprising an outer impact skin formed solely of resilient metal helices disposed side by sideand connected together in such a manner as to yield resiliently in all directions upon projectile impact, and supporting springs interposed between such impact skin and'the surface to be protected, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. A protective armor of the character described comprising an outer impact skin formed solely of resilient metal helices disposed side by side and connected together in such a manner as to yield resiliently in all directions upon projectile impact, and

supporting springs interposedat proper intervals between the surface to be protected and said impactskin to space the latter away from the former and to prevent it from being driven in upon the same when yielding upon projectile impact, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. A protective armor of the character described consisting of a plurality of layers composed solely of resilient metal helices,

the individual helices of each layer and the adjacent layers being connected together in poses described.

6. A protective armor of the character described consisting of a plurality of layers composed solely of resilient metal helices, the helices of one layer being disposed at an angle to the helices of the adjacent layer or layers and the individual helices of each layer and the adjacent layers being connected together insuch a manner that the armor will yield resiliently in all directions upon projectile impact, substantially as and for the purposes described;

7. A protective armor of the character described consisting of a plurality of layers composed solely of resilient metal helices, the individual helices of each layer and the adjacent layers being connected together in such a manner that the armor will yield resiliently in all directions upon projectile impact, and the helices of the inner layer or layers being more snugly coiled than those of the outer layer or layers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

terial for the helices of the inner layer or layers, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. A protective armor of the character described consisting-of a plurality of layers composed solely of resilient metal helices, the individual helices of each layer being connected together in such a manner as to form a skin resiliently yielding in all directions, upon projectile impact, and supporting springs interposed between the layers .to space the same apart, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. A protective armor of the character described consisting of a plurality of layers composed solely of resilient metal helices, the helices of each layer being connected-together in such a manner as to form a skin resiliently yielding in all directionsupon projectile impact, and supporting springs interposed between the layers and between the inner layer and the surface to be pro tected, substantially as and for the purposes described.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Penna, this 17th day of April, 1917,

SALVADOR MONTES ALMENGUAL. 

